Marked For Life
by Mr.WilliamJamesBooma
Summary: Elena catches sight of Jeremy's tattoo and wants to know what it means. Sequel to Hot Under the Collar but can be read as a stand alone piece. Slash. JeremyxTyler


Marked For Life

Sequel to Hot Under the Collar but can be read as a stand alone piece.

"Jer, what is that?"

'Oh Shit' were the first words to enter the teenagers mind. It had been stupid to pull his shirt off, he knew better, especially with his sister and everyone else here. He reached down quickly and grabbed his white tee off the grass covered ground. Just as fast as he had picked it up, his sister had snatched it from his grasp, and grabbed ahold of him.

"Elena" Jeremy hissed.

Elena took a closer look at her brother's chest. On his left breast, right above where the heart would be, tattooed in a fancy cursive were the words- 'Mated for Life'. Jeremy struggled out of her grasp but it was too late, she'd read it.

"What's that supposed to mean Jer'" He could hear the worry in her voice. Why did she need to worry about every little thing? Between the vampire brothers didn't she have enough troubles of her own?

"Why don't you mind your own business" he spat out. It came out three times harsher than he actually meant it, but, oh well. From the look in her eyes it seemed to have gotten the point across. And the look plastered across her righteous face would have been hilarious in almost any other circumstance.

"How dare you speak to me like that! I'm your sister. Now…"

"Maybe we should…" Began Stefan from behind her, but the look she threw his way caused him to shut his pie hole instantly.

"Please Jer, what's going on with you? First that stupid collar, now this Tattoo, Jer' I'm worried about you"

"Don't be" Jeremy muttered under his breath so low that only the vampires heard him. He could of easily went on, started yelling at her impulsively just as he wanted to. The collar was not stupid, the collar was truth. He managed to keep his cool however and not scream anything else. But he couldn't think of anything else to say that wouldn't add fuel to this argument and make both of their tempers soar. So he didn't say anything. Instead he turned his gaze quickly over to Tyler who was standing off next to a tree with a wide smirk on his face. The moment that their gazes met though, Tyler's smirk grew much larger and he began shaking his head no, which in-another-wards meant Jeremy was on his own; his boyfriend was too amused to help. Typical Tyler.

Elena had followed her brother's gaze over to Tyler and was now even more confused. She was still up close to Jeremy; she had no conception of the idea of personal boundaries obviously. But then again, when it came to Jeremy she seemed not to understand the concept of boundaries. For some reason she seemed to think that he should listen to all of her opinions of how he should live his life, and yet whenever he tried to do the same to her she got bent out of shape.

"What's Tyler have to do with all this" Elena said.

Everyone else at the picnic was silent, dead silent. Jeremy wished they weren't. He glanced to his other side and saw the lake through the trees. Maybe if he ran over and jumped in the lake he could swim away from this, from her, but that was a childish choice and he was no longer a child. Besides all it would do is delay her. She was persistent; the moment she caught back up with him she'd begin the interrogation all over again.

"Did he give you that Tattoo or something?" Elena asked.

Jeremy wasn't sure exactly why he felt he needed to keep this hidden from her. Was it because it was Tyler, was it because Tyler was a werewolf, was it because Tyler was a guy, was it because Jeremy was gay, what was it exactly that Jeremy was so afraid of her finding out, and more importantly why. Was it because being gay was wrong, or was it because being with a wolf was against the norm? It wasn't like his sister's love life was your typical norm, unless dating vampire brothers is the norm now. But more simply, as long as the truth was a secret it was comforting, but the truth being public knowledge was terrifying, although it would probably make Tyler's day, he'd wanted to tell everyone for the last three months. According to Tyler's logic, anyone who didn't like it "could go fuck themselves". If only Jeremy had that point of view, and maybe one day he would, and maybe if what was left of his family wasn't involved he'd have no problem with Tyler's logic.

"Oh come on already." Damon said now standing beside the two. "Can you really be that naïve Elena, the tattoo, the collar; Lover-boy's got himself a boyfriend." Damon said this with glee. Then he dropped his voice so that only Elena and Jeremy (and any other listening vampires) could hear him. "A wolf to top it off".

Damon looked very pleased with himself and this situation. Jeremy would swear that that vampire lived just to make mischief. Well now Damon could check 'One Good Mischief Deed Done' off his daily to-do list.

Elena was silent for once. Jeremy felt an arm wrap around his naked shoulders and he needed not to look who it was, it was Tyler, thank god. His world felt like it'd just spontaneously combusted, and Tyler was the only one he could think of to put all the pieces back together. Tyler was his rock.

Jeremy looked over to his boyfriends face to see the smirk gone. Tyler was serious now, just as he should be. There was a fire in the wolf's eyes, and Jeremy could read that fire and those eyes. The eyes were the window to the soul, the mind right, and Tyler's eyes were saying- "Just go ahead, any of you, just say one wrong think and you'll never see day light again". Jeremy found this comforting. It didn't make him feel weak like it would some other guys, or even feminine as it might others, but instead it made him feel more masculine, stronger even. Whoever in the media who always said that you needed a feminine guy and masculine guy for gay relationships to work obviously knew jack (or in some other cases two feminine guys). Jeremy and Tyler worked just fine and they didn't fit into those stereotypical roles, at least that's as far as Jeremy is concerned.

"Elena, why don't we…" Stephan began placing his hand on her shoulder. She shot him another nasty look and he backed up a few paces.

What happened next happened so sudden that it took Jeremy by complete surprise. Elena had thrown her arms around him and pulled him into a deep hug, in the process pushing Tyler out of the way (which wouldn't have been so easy to do if it hadn't taken Tyler by surprise also). Tears were flowing from her eyes now. "Oh Jer', I'm so happy" she cried out. Jeremy was now far beyond confused. What stage was more severe than confused he didn't know, but that's where he was.

Elena was then planting big kisses on his cheeks, randomly until there was three on the left and two on the right. She left lipstick marks on each spot, and once she let go of Jeremy he wiped them quickly off his cheeks. Disgusting, he had no need for kisses from his overbearing sister. And then it hit him, she wasn't screaming, she storming off, and yes she was crying, but it seemed to be more from joy than sorrow. This was nowhere near any of the scenarios his mind had cocked up for when something like this did actually happen.

"Oh great, no fireworks. You need to learn how to be more in touch with your angrier side Elena, that would have made this a lot more fun" Damon said walking back to where Caroline and Bonnie stood.

"You don't have a problem with this" Jeremy finally asked, Tyler's arm now wrapped around Jeremy's shoulders. Elena looked up at him and he could see in her eyes it was a definite 'NO'. She let go of him and backed up a few paces.

"Wait til Aunt Jenna finds out, she'll be so happy"

"What?"

"Jer, we've been so worried about you. The secrets, the disappearances, the fact that you were never dating. Aunt Jenna was literally convinced you had joined some occult, and I didn't know what to think. And you've been happy this whole time…you are happy right"

"I don't think Tyler's seed would be up Jeremy's ass if they weren't happy" Damon merrily added in taking a sandwich from the basket, which was only half true. Jeremy did bottom, but they always used protection.

"Thanks Damon but I didn't need to know that much"

"Always here to help"

Tyler's eyes were now fixed on Damon, and if looks could kill.

"Come on let's eat" Stephan suggested grabbing Elena by the forearm, and this time she didn't shoot him a dirty look.

"We can talk about that horrendous collar latter then" She said pointing to his neck and then taking off with Stephan. Tyler stole a kiss and they went to join the others at the picnic blanket. Jeremy stayed curled up with Tyler throughout the rest of the affair, and they felt like a real couple, and Jeremy for once felt free.


End file.
